MINUTES OF AGM SUNDAY 5th JANUARY 2020
The meeting was opened by Ian at 10.00am, wishing all a happy New Year. There were 34 members present.
Alan asked that the minutes of the previous AGM be taken as read. This was proposed by Alan Ingham and seconded by Dan Frost.
Apologies for absence were received from: Richard & Beryl Blanche(cruising about), Glen Wardle(slumming it in Tenerife), Kirsty Mullen, Bob Yates. Paul Vincent, Ian McGeorge, Jeff and Gerrard Davison, Graham and Shaun Mills, George Gamble, Steve Sizeland, Barry Scott, Graham Dilks and David Brown ( the last two being new members, but they’ve paid so everyone’s happy!!)
CHAIRMAN’S REVEIW
Ian began by wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year and thanked everyone who had helped and supported the club in any way over the year. It is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, as always, to Neil for his excellent book-keeping, Alan for his secretarial and website work and Kenny for always being there when the traps break!
Thanks to those who regularly turn up to help set up.
A big thank you to Hazel for keeping us supplied with tea and coffee. Also to Alan who was tea lady last week when hazel was poorly.(seems to have found his calling).
Please remain vigilant, shoot safely and attend as regularly as possible.
SECRETARY’S REVIEW
The club is running reasonably smoothly. However, there have been rumblings in the ranks!
Instead of discussing grievances amongst yourselves please let me know your concerns. I will then take it back to the committee and we will stamp outany misunderstandings . I want the club to go back to being a friendly club and a nice place to be on a Sunday morning. I promise this will happen!
I still haven’t got everyone’s email addresses. Can you please let me have them for my records as soon as possible. It is much easier to contact people “en bloc” than to spend hours on the phone.
After a visit from a nice policeman from Bedlington our section 11 Exemption Certificate was successfully renewed. he was most impressed by the, quote “professional and safety conscious way the club is run”. A credit to you all.
Good feedback from visitors to our website and also from corporates shoots I arrange at the South Causey Inn. We’ve had a good few visitors as a direct result.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Neil reported that the club is financially sound, even after the purchase of new traps and various bits of kit. No changes are planned this year to the subs, shoot fees or cartridges, providing there is no drastic increase in the cost of clays or cartridges. Anyone wishing to inspect the books feel free to ask.
All help given by members is appreciated, but more bodies helping clear up would be welcomed. Thanks to Ian for auditing the books, Kenny for trap maintenance and Alan for looking after the website.
Our late landlord’s son has taken over his dad’s responsibilities and we have been assured that no changes to our current arrangement is envisaged.
Neil proposed we hold two charity shoots in 2020 to benefit The Air Ambulance, Help for Heroes, RNLI and Willowburn Hospice. Details will be made known nearer the tines.
Please wear your ID badges. It lets members know who you are (instead of being called “hoy”) and any visitors will see that we take pride in the running of the club. A fine of £1 will be levied for not wearing them (proceeds to our charities).
ELECTION OF OFFICIALS
Before the annual deathly silence, Alan asked the question: “does everyone know who the committee are?” Short answer was no! It will get to a point that us old fogeys will either not have the energy or inclination to carry on and new blood will have to step into the breech. However that is not imminent at the present time and after unanimous backing from the floor, the Committee agreed to preside for another year.
NEW MEMBERS
Three new members were admitted into the club: David Brown, Graham Dilks and David Harrop.
AOB
More annual deathly silence!
For those elder statesmen of the club who can remember 2001, a body of trustees was set up to safeguard the assets of the club should anything untoward happen. Considering a number of the original crew have either passed away or left the club it was felt a need to revisit this and update where necessary. Our tame solicitor and high court judge Rod Etherington, has agreed to formally draw up a document and have it authenticated by his legal mates. We will present this to the members in due course for approval.
Thanks to Andrew and Russell (our tame refuse engineers) for their added help towing the trailer when Neil is off on his jollies.
We may have potential problems with the siting of the container but we are working closely with Phil at the South Causey to rectify this. However if anyone knows a suitable alternative site to house the container could you let us know (its always best to be prepared for the worst).
Finally, it was suggested by one of our members that a presence on social media might benefit the club. After a lukewarm reception and, in some cases, abject unease at the problems it may create it was felt that it wasn’t for us.
There being no more business to discuss the meeting ended at 11.0am.
Many thanks to Jayne Ingham for taking the minutes